A Better Life
by HMemma546
Summary: Jack is beaten and abused by the Guardians every day. His only friend is Pitch Black. When Pitch pushes him through a white portal, suddenly everything has change. The Guardians are suddenly caring. Pitch is suddenly evil. What's going on?
1. Chapter 1

A Better Life

Summary: Jack is beaten and abused by the Guardians every day. His only friend is Pitch Black. When Pitch pushes him through a white portal, suddenly everything has change. The Guardians are suddenly caring. Pitch is suddenly evil. What's going on?

**_Hey guys._**

**_First of all the orginal idea for this is not mine. I was inspired by a W.I.T.C.H fanfic: A Chance of Happiness by Willhemina Vandom. (Might have spelt that wrong...sorry) Go check it out. It's not completed but it's really good. (And yes I know A Better Life title and A Chance of Happiness title sound really similar, especially if you've read her fic but I rubbish at titles so that was the one I came up with.)_**

**_For my Icy Shadows fans I will continue soon when I don't have assignments and other ideas running around in my head half the time (also when I'm not feeling under the weather like I am right now). For my Jack and the Wind fans...I still don't know if I'll continue it. I've got some ideas for it but not enough to put into a chapter._**

**_Anyway not sure if this chapter is good, I wasn't really sure how to begin this story. It will get better, I hope. Hope you enjoy this chapter anyway and please leave a review :)_**

**_Note: Characters, at least in this chapter will be AU._**

One

"Stupid little show pony!"

Jack bit back a cry as he was thrown hard against the wall. It was hard though as his head went smack against the wall, forming a large bruise to join the ones he already had there. It didn't help when he was then kicked in the stomach.

Above him, Bunny stood there snarling. Behind him Tooth, North and Sandy watched, smirking viciously.

Bunny landed another kick in Jack's cry. This time Jack did let a cry as he felt his ribs crack. He was lifted by the hood of his hoodie, only for Bunny to punch him in the stomach.

After a few minutes of watching Bunny punch and kick Jack, North stood up.

"Alright, Bunny that'll be enough. Think the boy's learnt his lesson." North said. He sounded disappointed though even as he said it.

Bunny looked like he didn't want to stop, right now strangling the winter spirit. But after a few minutes he dropped Jack roughly to the ground.

As the Guardians left, Jack coughed weakly, a hand to his throat, feeling the bruises already forming there. A few tears streamed down his face.

This was a regular occurrence for Jack Frost. Ever since he became a Guardian, the Guardians would beat him every day, even when he hadn't done anything wrong. Like today. Apparently, if his oxygen-starved brain was being truthful, the reason for Bunny rounded on him was because 'he had looked at him funny'.

Jack groaned in pain. Weakly, he tried to push himself up to his feet. It was a struggle, his body hurt so much, but he did it. Relief washed through him slightly; at least it hadn't been that bad today. Sometimes he couldn't even get to his feet after a beating.

Staggering, he stumbled over to where Bunny had tossed his staff, not wanting the winter spirit to escape when he was beating him. He grasped it tightly in his shaking hands. The wind wrapped around him in a comforting embrace, trying not to aggravate his wounds.

He jumped into the air, knowing it was less painful that standing on the ground, and with that flew out the window and into the evening sky.

* * *

The wind carried him gently to the bottom of a small cliff on the edge of Burgess. Thanking the wind, softly, Jack held his stomach, to try and hold in the pain, and located a shadowy gap between two parts of the cliff sticking out slightly.

When he found the gap, he pressed his hand onto it. Almost instantly, his hand melded into black sand as the wall gave way to reveal a secret entranceway of black sand. Jack continued to walk forward until he had walk through the black sand and to the other side, feeling the wall reappear behind him, only instead of a rocky cliff side is was cold stone hard grey brick.

Not being able to walk further, Jack leaned against the wall, trying to control his uneven breathing. He didn't have to wait long. Sensing someone had entered his lair, the nightmare king approached the entrance.

"Jack?" Pitch Black called out, as he spotted the white hair of the winter spirit.

When Pitch drew close enough to see Jack's injuries, he rushed over.

"What happened?" He asked, as he wrapped an arm around Jack, allowing him to lean on him to walk, all the while examining Jack's injuries.

Jack just shrugged, gritting his teeth painfully when he realised shrugging was definitely not a good idea, "The usual."

Pitch sighed and shook his head, "Come on, I'll make us some tea and we'll see about those injuries."

Pitch led him through the maze that was his lair and into a living room, where he placed Jack down on the black leather sofa.

"I'll be right back."

Jack nodded and watched Pitch leave through an archway to where the kitchens were located, before closing his eyes and lying down on the sofa, hissing slightly when his ribs throbbed from the movement.

He felt a pair of golden eyes watching him and when he opened his eyes, he saw a fearling was watching him.

"Hey Nyx,"

Nyx whickered in greeting and gave him a gentle nuzzle, before picking up one of the objects she had dropped on the floor when greeting him. She held a grey pillow in her mouth and nudge Jack with it.

"Okay, okay," Jack said, a small smile appearing on his lips.

He lifted his head and the fearling placed the pillow underneath him. When he had lain back down, she picked up the second item, a blanket, and draped it over him.

"You didn't have to do that." Jack murmured.

The fearling just snorted, as if Jack's suggestion was the silliest thing she had ever heard. Jack's smile grew wider.

"Thanks."

Nyx nuzzled him again and then sat down in front of the sofa, turning her head and laying it on Jack's lap. Jack stroked her mane softly, the distraction helping ease some of the pain.

Pitch returned and Nyx raised her head as Jack sat up. Pitch placed the tea tray down onto the side table, picking up the first aid bag he had placed alongside the mugs.

"Alright let me see."

"Do I have to?" Jack asked.

Pitch raised his eyebrow with an expression that clearly said 'yes'. Jack groaned.

"Alright, alright," He sighed.

He lifted his hoodie and the white top underneath up allowing Pitch to see his stomach. Pitch ignored the old cuts and bruises that covered most of Jack's stomach and focused on the new ones, placing his hands on the sides of Jack's chest. Jack let out a cry when Pitch touched a painful spot.

"They've cracked your ribs again." Pitch sighed.

"At least they're not broken, like last time." Jack replied.

Pitch didn't reply to that as he began wrapping bandages around Jack's stomach, to hold the ribs in place until they had mended, "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"My head," Jack answered, feeling the sharp throb returning.

Once Pitch had finished with Jack's chest, he took a look at Jack's head. Jack heard him let out a sharp hiss.

"How many times did they throw you into a wall?" Pitch asked.

"Um, I don't know. A couple of times?" Jack said, unsure, "Bunny was really laying in on me today."

"I bet he was." Pitch said, eyes glinting darkly as he thought of that rabbit. He place a swab over the bleeding wound on Jack's head and proceeded to hold it in place with more bandages, "Can you recite the months backwards?"

"Um…maybe?" Jack attempted to try.

"You've got concussion." Pitch replied once he had done, "Don't worry, this time it's only mild. I'm just surprised you manage to fly all the way here without falling."

"I did feel dizzy now and then when I was flying." Jack admitted, rubbing his head before Pitch slapped his hand away.

"Leave it. You'll make it worse if you keep touching it." Pitch said, standing up and picking up the cups of tea from the table.

"I'm fine." Jack said, accepting the light blue mug from Pitch's hand.

"Cracked ribs and a concussion is not 'fine'." Pitch responded, sitting down with the grey mug in his hands.

Jack rolled his eyes, "Are we going to have this conversation again?"

"You can't keep staying with the Guardians, Jack. How many more times are you going to come back here, wounded?"

"I need to protect the children. You know that." Jack replied.

"You can do that from here!" Pitch yelled. Jack flinched slightly and Pitch sighed, "You don't have to go back." He continued in a quieter tone.

"The Man in the Moon said…."

"Stuff Manny! Just because it was the second time he talked to you doesn't mean you have to do as he says! Jack, those so called 'Guardians' are _abusing_ you! One of these days, they are going to end up killing you-"

"Will you stop it?!" Jack shouted.

He slammed his tea cup down on the table, causing Nyx to neigh in surprise, and turned away from Pitch. He pulled his knees into his chest, ignoring his ribs' protest, and hugged them, trying to stop shaking.

"I'm sorry, Jack," Pitch whispered, "I didn't mean to upset you."

Jack let out a sniff and wiped his nose with the cuff of his sleeve.

"I don't _want_ to go back. You know I don't." Jack whispered shakily, "But I have to. You know what Manny said. I know you can try and ignore everything he says, but I can't."

Pitch let a shaky breath.

"Alright, fine." He snapped, "Fine!" He ran his hand through his spiked hair in frustration.

Jack smiled weakly. He knew Pitch was just upset and worried about him. But there wasn't any other way. They had to accept that. Even if Pitch was struggling to.

"How long can you stay?" Pitch asked.

"Not long. I wasn't allowed to leave Santoff Claussen in the first place. They just forgot to lock me up in my room after they were done beating me."

"You should go now. If they realise you've gone, they'll beat you again."

Jack nodded. Standing to his feet, he wobbled slightly, but managed to stay standing without too much trouble. He gave Pitch a quick grin and wave.

"See you later." He said. He patted Nyx's mane, "Bye Nyx."

Nyx let out a sad whine before letting Jack wrap his arms around her in a quick hug. Then she, along with her master, watched as Jack flew off.

As soon as Jack had left the lair, Pitch turned to Nyx.

"Make sure he's safe."

Nyx nodded quickly in response. With that she leapt into the air and took off to catch up with Jack, making sure to keep enough distance that he wouldn't know she was following him of course.

Pitch waited until she were gone before he turned and marched out the living room, heading straight for the library.

Inside, he pointed to the door sharply and the fearlings inside quickly left, not wanting to disobey Pitch's demands. Pitch wasn't even sure why they were in the library anyway; it wasn't like they could actually read. But he didn't want to focus on that now as he walked straight over to the desk. On there he had left several strolls and books from his last search.

He couldn't accept that this was the way things had to be. Jack might have, but he just couldn't. Jack, the Guardian of Fun, the one who brought laughter into children's hearts, did not deserve this. He did not deserve to be beaten up every day. It didn't matter what Manny had said. Pitch had managed to keep the children of the world safe before, when Jack hadn't become a spirit yet, he could do it again. He would not, could not, let Jack suffer like this any longer.

He started searching through the strolls and books. There had to be something in there that would change things. There had to be!

* * *

Jack took a deep breath. Alright, all he had to do was sneaked through the window, zoom quickly and quietly down the corridor before anyone noticed and into his room and no one would be the wiser. Simple.

Of course it wasn't simple. In fact, Jack was only fifty per cent sure that the Guardians weren't already on the other side of the window, waiting for him.

Fear washed through him. He longed to just stay outside, hidden in the white snow and strong artic currents. But he knew that the beating would be worst if he did that. Last time he had tried to hide he had ended up locked up in his room for weeks with his leg and arm broken, making it impossible to fly when he was finally allowed out until they had both mended. If the Guardians were there, waiting, then it would be less painful if he just went inside and got it over and done with.

Jack closed his eyes, taking in another deep breath. Exhaling softly, he careful pushed open the window.

He stepped down from the windows ledge, hovering just above the floor. No Guardian stood there at the moment and for a moment relief washed over Jack. Just as he was about to fly down the corridor, he realised he was being watched.

He turned and saw an elf standing there, staring at him, with a trumpet in its hands. A cruel smirk spread across its face.

Jack knew what that wicked smile meant. The elves had never liked him since he became a Guardian, neither did the yetis. Whenever an elf or a yeti caught him sneaking out or sneaking back in, they always raised the alarm, knowing full well what would happen to Jack afterwards.

"Please, don't, please." Jack begged the elf, hoping that this elf was one of the kinder ones that occasionally let him get away once or twice.

The smile on the elf's face only grew wider. This elf wasn't one of the kinder ones.

Squeezing his eyes shut, the elf brought the trumpet to its lips, took a deep breath and blew. The trumpet horn rang throughout the corridor, loud enough for all the workshop to hear.

Jack quickly backed away, attempting to flee for the scene before anyone show up. But before he could, he bumped into something….or someone.

Spinning around, he gulped when he saw North towering over him. Tooth, Bunny and Sandy flocked him, all smirking at Jack.

"Well, well, Jack." North said, crossing his arms, "Where have you been?"

"I…I…" Jack stuttered, trying to think of an excuse.

"You were with Pitch again, weren't you?" Bunny snarled interrupting him.

Jack's eyes widened, "No I-"

"Don't lie," Tooth hissed at him. Walking up to him, she slapped him across the cheek, "You filthy piece of trash!"

As Jack recoiled back from the slap, North plucked him up by the scruff of his neck with one hand, pulling Jack's staff out of his grasp with the other. Jack tried to grab his staff back in a desperate attempt to try and defend himself, but North simply handed the staff to Sandy, who grinned in delight.

"Just when will you learn?" North sighed, shaking his head, as if disappointed. There was a mocking grin under his beard though, one that never failed to strike terror into Jack.

The Guardians took him to the Globe room, North chucking Jack to the floor. Jack cried out as his already injured ribs screamed in protest.

Bunny made to walk over to him, but North stopped. Both Bunny and Jack looked up surprisingly as North turned to Tooth.

Tooth grinned at Bunny walked over to Jack. Wrapping one hand around the boy's neck, she lifted him up until he was facing her.

"Guess what I learnt a few days ago when I went to visit some of my friends?" She asked, in a plainly false sweet tone, before her face contorted into a evil leer, "I learnt that there's a theory that with some spirits if you were to say…break the source or the outlet of their power, it in turn will hurt the winter spirit."

She turned Jack to face Sandy. The golden man quickly caught onto her words and a silent chuckle escaped his lips.

"Shall we test that theory, Jack?" Tooth asked, "I think we should."

Jack shook his head desperately, clawing at the hand still wrapped tightly around his neck, making it hard for him to breath. Tears started to stream down his cheeks.

The Guardians laughed.

"Aw, is little Frostbite crying?" Bunny sneered.

"Poor Jacky wacky. Do you really think we're that cruel?" Tooth asked.

Jack didn't reply, eyes focusing on his staff in Sandy's hand. He knew the answer.

When North nodded, Sandy snapped the staff in half.

A loud bloodcurdling scream escaped Jack's throat. Tooth dropped Jack in surprised and he clutched his chest in agony as he felt his magic being ripped savagely away from him as his staff was snapped in half. It almost felt as his insides had been torn into pieces.

The shock fell off the Guardians' faces as they shared cruel gleeful expressions.

"Well I guess the theory's correct then." Tooth said.

"Looks like it. Hey Sandy?" Bunny snickered, "How about you snap the staff again?"

Sandy nodded and did just that. More pain, worse than before, echoed through that and he doubled up, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Wow, that was louder than last time," Bunny remarked, covering his ears.

"Again!" Tooth demanded.

Jack cried out again as he heard another snap and another, and another, and another, his chest feeling like it was burning with so much pain going through him. He sobbed harder as he writhed in agony. It felt like death. No it felt worse than death. He had already experience death and he knew that this pain was far worse than that.

Bunny laughed and kicked him hard. Jack felt the sharp snap as his cracked ribs broke, making him shriek harder, unable to hold back his cries.

As Bunny started kicking him, harder this time, Tooth gestured to one of her fairies who immediately fetched her a cigarette. Lighting it up, she took a puff from it, watching the display for a few moments, before approaching.

Once she was standing over Jack, she held up the cigarette and proceeded to press it down firmer into Jack's cheek.

Jack tried to turn his head away when he felt the heat of the cigarette approaching but Bunny held in fast. The cigarette sizzled as it came into contact with Jack's skin. Being burnt by a cigarette was painful for anyone, but for a winter spirit, who couldn't stand heat, it was torture.

Tooth repeated the process, lighting up a cigarette and proceeding to burn Jack with it. Bunny laughed as Jack sobbed and screeched. All the while Sandy kept snapping the rest of Jack's staff, sending that agonising pain through him again and again.

North, who usually just watched these beatings, slowly walked over to him, hands behind his back. Bunny and Tooth stopped in surprise. Sandy only stopped because he had snapped pretty much all the staff at this point.

For a moment Jack thought that it was going to stop. He knew that North wasn't going to take pity on him. North loved seeing the others attack him, sometimes even making up lies to anger Bunny or Tooth intently to see Jack get beat. But maybe North had gotten bored? Usually North was the one who called off the beatings when it got boring, being the unofficial leader meaning that the others had to listen to him.

Jack looked up with him, his vision blurring in and out slightly after being kicked in the head a few dozen times. Silently, he begged that Manny would actually be kind to him and North would call it off.

A smirk crossed North's face. He brought his hands out from behind his back to reveal a large wide black belt.

"No…"

The smirk grew wider and North raised the belt above his head, the other three Guardians cackling in the background. And then he brought it down.

* * *

Pitch flipped through the page of a book, rubbing his forehead tiredly. So far he hadn't found anything that would help him. It would help if he knew exactly what he was looking for, but he didn't. All he knew it had to be something that would help Jack, get him out of this mess, get him away from those Guardians.

Suddenly he stopped. Golden eyes glimmering with hope, Pitch quickly read the description of the spell, praying the hope building in his stomach wouldn't come crashing down in vain.

A joyous breathless laugh escaped his lips when he finished. He had found it. He had found it! He laughed again, wiping the tears that were springing to his eyes away.

The spell didn't even need any ingredients. All he had to was get Jack, say the spell and then….

The door burst opened, snapping Pitch out of his thoughts. He turned, wondering what antic the fearlings had got up to now.

Nyx stood there, her face full with terror. One look and Pitch was up on his feet, taking the book with him. He ran over to Nyx, trying to ignore the fear that was pouring out of him in waves.

"Take me to him."

Nyx didn't need twice, practically throwing Pitch onto her back and taking him to the North Pole.

* * *

When the two arrived at the North Pole, the Guardians were no where in sight. Where they were, Pitch didn't know or practically care. All he cared about was Jack.

Nyx landed them in the globe room, stopping over only to let Pitch climbed off her, before racing over to where the winter spirit was lying on the ground, letting a worried neigh. After checking none of those Yetis or elves were nearby, Pitch rushed over to Jack.

Pitch felt his heart clenched at what he saw. Jack was still curled up in a foetal poistion. His blue hoodie and the white shirt he wore underneath had been slashed to pieces, blood oozing from the gaps in the fabric where North's belt had hit him. Large black bruises also covered his stomach and back. His face was the worse, bruises and scroch marks littering almost everywhere on the pale skin that was almost too pale, even for the winter spirit. His eyes were shut and he was deadly still.

It was then Pitch noticed the pieces of wood that seemed to have been dropped on top of the boy, probably by the Guardians, and had scattered around him. It took Pitch a while to realise that they were the remaints of Jack's staff, the crooked piece being the only part Pitch recognised, the rest no longer seeming to belong to the staff by the way they had been snapped to pieces. When Pitch realised that they were Jack's staff, he swore under his breath.

"Jack? Come on, you need to wake up." Pitch said, as he placed a hand on Jack's shoulder and shook him gently, trying to rouse him without furthering injuring the boy at the same time.

Jack didn't respond and for a moment Pitch feared they had arrived too late. But then the boy suddenly flinched from Pitch's touch, letting out a whimper.

"Easy, it's me, Pitch," Pitch said softly, letting out a sigh of relief when Jack stirred.

"Pitch?" Jack whimpered, cracking open his eyes.

"Ssh," Pitch hushed Jack, "Everything's going to be okay."

He started focusing on Jack's injuries, doing what he could with what he had, which was only the cloak, he was wearing, which he tore a piece off immediately and wrapped around Jack's torso, trying to stop the bleeding and the broken ribs. Pitch cursed himself, realising he should have picked up a first aid box or something before he came here.

The boy was getting worse, beads of sweat on his forehead, no doubt an infection brewing. His body was heating up and that could not be good for a winter spirit, whose temperature needed to stay at a cold level for him to survive.

Pitch ran a shaking hand through his spiked hair, desperately trying to think. He couldn't leave Jack, in case he got worse. Nyx might be a useful fearling but even she wouldn't be able to help Jack, what with her having hooves and not hands. But Pitch didn't have any medical supplies. There was only one thing he could think off to do and he hadn't even tested it. But it was the only way...

Jack squeezed his eyes shut, trying to force the pain away but he couldn't. It was just all too much. How much longer could he keep doing this? Pitch had been right before. The Guardians were going to end up killing him. If he didn't die then right there and now.

"You're not going to die." Pitch said, as if he had read Jack's thought. Or Jack had said it aloud. He didn't know right now, he was in too much agony to think straight.

Meanwhile Pitch was leafing through his book, trying to find the right page. He stopped as he found it, breathing a sign of relief. He glanced over at Jack who had tears streaming down his cheeks before focusing on the book.

Jack heard strange sounding words and he opened his eyes to see Pitch hovering over a book, chanting, two black glows surrounding his hands, causing Nyx to take a step back, whickering in fright. They weren't like his nightmare sand, instead they were more like auras that grew bigger and bigger as Pitch chanted, one finger running down the page of his book so he didn't mess up a single word of the spell.

Then as the auras around both of his hands had grown so big they were melding together and Pitch reached the last line, he threw the aura into an air.

The black aura disappeared. A white portal suddenly appeared, in its place, the light blinding Jack for a moment before his eyes adjusted. He felt Pitch help him to his feet. Though his legs were trembling from the amount of pain he was in, he managed to stay standing, only just. One arm clutching Pitch's, Jack looked up, confusion in his eyes.

"Pitch…what….?"

"Go," Pitch spoke gently, "You deserve a chance for a better life than this one."

Suddenly they heard shouts. The two froze. The Guardians had returned.

"_GO!_" Pitch shouted.

He pushed Jack into the white portal. The last thing Jack saw was Pitch giving him a quick nod of farewell and a brief yet warm smile.

* * *

Jack stumbled and fell to the ground. Behind him, the portal flickered and vanished.

He coughed violently, feeling a little trickle of blood run down his chin. Groaning, he let his head rest on the floor, eyes instantly closing.

"Jack?"

His eyes snapped open, as he heard the Guardians' voices. Quickly, he tried to push himself up, to get away. However, he barely had managed to lift himself up before he fell back down, gasping at the pain that struck through him. So instead, he curled himself up into a foetal position as he heard footsteps approach him.

"Please...don't hurt me..." He whispered.

He didn't think they would listen. Heck, he wasn't sure why he begged. But he knew if they beat him again...he wouldn't survive this time.

No matter how much his life was terrible...he didn't want to die. Not again. One death was bad enough. And even though Jack had been terrified by water since he had found out how he died; he didn't regret that death. He had saved his sister's life. He didn't want that all to be in vain.

Feeling the tears in his eyes as they surrounded him, probably about to laugh at his pleading and beat him anyway, he closed his eyes and was suddenly taken under the waves of his unconscious. His last thought was that at least he wouldn't be awake when they finally killed him.

* * *

_"Is it really him? I just can't believe it..."_

_"I told you he was still alive."_

_"Is he going to be okay, North?"_

_"I don't know. Yetis say injuries very bad."_

_"What do you think happened to him?"_

_"We will find out when he wakes up."_

Jack frowned as the voices talking brought him back to consciousness. He cracked over his eyes but there was a light shining at him so brightly that he was forced to shut them again before he was blinded. After a couple of seconds he tried again, squinting carefully as his eyes adjusted to the light.

He found himself lying in one of the beds in the workshop's infirmary, next to one of the windows. The bright light had been the light coming from the light bulbs above his head and the moonlight shining through the window combined.

Jack frowned again, this time in confusion as he wondered why the Guardians had brought him here. They had only brought him here once (or was it twice?) and that was only when he first became a Guardian. Normally they just left him lying where he was and expected him to sort himself out. The only times Jack came here really was to steal some of the supplies so he could treat his injuries. And that was before North found out and the Guardians punished him for it.

"Jack!"

Jack jumped, bolting upright into a sitting position. There, sitting on chairs on both sides of his bed were the Guardians.

Immediately Jack tried to scamper away, but was stopped by a sharp pain in his arm. He glanced down to see an IV attached to his arm, preventing him from trying to escape. He tried tugging the IV out anyway.

"Easy, Jack, easy! Is alright," North said, in a gentle voice, placing a hand on Jack's shoulder to stop him.

Jack jerked away from him violently, scooting back as far as the bed allowed him. North pulled back his hand. For some strange reason he seemed surprised by the way Jack reacted.

Jack glanced about frantically, trying to seek a way out, but the Guardians were surrounding him now and over by the door were a couple of Yetis, most likely there to prevent him from escaping. Not wanted the Guardians to poke fun at him from being scared; he adopted a glare, wrapping his arms around himself in a defensive pose.

The Guardians exchange baffled and...worried? No that couldn't be it...looks

"Jack?" Tooth asked, gently, catching Jack by surprised, "Are you alright?"

Jack blinked in confusion. Why weren't they hitting him? Why were they pretending to be nice?

"Why do you care?" He asked out loud.

He expected them to drop the act right there and then, and punish him for speaking out of terms. What he didn't expect was the stunned and...hurt?...looks they gave him.

"Of course, we care, Jack," North said. The large man tried to place a hand on Jack's shoulder again, but was stopped by Sandy when Jack flinched away again.

"Where have you been, mate?" Bunny asked.

Jack furrowed his eyes. What? Why was Bunny asking that? What kind of question was that anyway? He hadn't even left Santoff Claussen.

"Er…I was in the globe room. You know, where you guys beat me up, in case you don't remember."

Apparently they did not remember. In fact, judging by the shocked and horror stricken faces, they were acting as if they had never had even dreamt of laying a finger on Jack, let alone just did not that long ago. Jack frowned further.

Bunny shook his head, "Mate…we would never….what the hell did that boogeyman do to you?"

Jack's head whipped over to Bunny when he mentioned Pitch, suddenly remembering Pitch had been in the globe room when the Guardians had shown up. But before he could ask what the Guardians had done to something, North spoke; what he said stopping Jack altogether.

"Jack...you've been gone for two years."

* * *

_**...So how was it? Sorry if the ending's a little rushed I wasn't even sure if I was going to add or wait until the next chapter so this wouldn't be as long. I decided it made sense placing it at the end of this chapter...hopefully I made the right choice. ^^;**_


	2. Chapter 2

A Better Life

Summary: Jack is beaten and abused by the Guardians every day. His only friend is Pitch Black. When Pitch pushes him through a white portal, suddenly everything has change. The Guardians are suddenly caring. Pitch is suddenly evil. What's going on?

_**Hey guys sorry this chapter is so short, wasn't sure what to write for this chapter. Hoepfully the next chapter will be my usual long standard that I for some reason now have (I have no idea where it's come from &shrug*) Anyway enjoy ^^**_

Two

Jack stared at the Guardians for a few minutes, trying to comprehend what they had just said.

"….Okay, if you guys are going to continue with this trick, you're gonna have to do better than that." Jack deadpanned. Seriously, who were they trying to kid?

"This isn't a trick, mate," Bunny said.

"But I haven't 'been gone for two years'!" Jack exclaimed, "I been here the entire time!"

"Jack…" Tooth said gently as she attempted to place a hand on Jack's arm, only for Jack to flinch away from her as well, "What we're telling you is the truth."

She, Bunny and Sandy all turned to North for him to explain. North sighed.

"You were attacked by Pitch." North explained. "Just on the outskirts of Burgess."

"Pitch wouldn't attack me." Jack growled.

"Of course he would, he's the flipping boogeyman!" Bunny cried.

"He's my friend! Whenever you guys would beat me up, blaming me for something I didn't do or just feeling like a round of hit-the-Jack, Pitch was always there for me, mending my injuries and letting me stay at his place until you all had calm down. And now you're trying to pretend he's the bad guy?!" Jack shouted, his eyes as cold as ice.

"We would never lay a finger–what the hell did he do to you?!" Bunny yelled crossly, jumping to his feet.

Jack jumped in fright, pressing his back into the backboard. A whimper escaped his lips unintentionally as he waited for Bunny to strike him.

Bunny's eyes widened in shock and horror as he stared at Jack, before he looked down at himself as if just realising how threating his outburst seemed. Or maybe he had realised he was blowing the Guardians cover, Jack thought, though that wouldn't explain the complete and utter devastated look on Bunny's face. As Tooth murmured the rabbit's name, Bunny fell back down in his seat, rubbing his face with his paw.

"We hadn't realised you were under attack until there was a sudden distress signal on the globe." North continued, after sparing Bunny a short glance to check if he was alright.

"I thought the globe only showed children's lights?" Jack asked, eyebrows furrowing.

"Mate, we told you as soon as you had officially become a Guardian. The globe also shows spirits' lights too, they have different colours, don't you remember?" Bunny exclaimed, though in a much quieter voice than before.

"You guys locked me up in a room after Manny told you I had officially become a Guardian." Jack said.

Bunny stared at Jack, mouth jutting open, before he shook his head, placing a paw on his forehead in distress, "I can't believe this…" He muttered.

"Jack, no, we had a ceremony remember? On your lake in Burgess?" Tooth said but was stopped by North, who shook his head.

Jack watched them unsurely. If this was a trick, surely they would have dropped it and punched him right now? Their tricks never went on for this long before...still he wasn't going to let his guard down just yet.

"As soon as we saw the distress signal, we flew to Burgess straight away. But when we got there there was no sight of you or Pitch."

"The place was covered in ice and black sand, so we knew you had been there." Tooth continued, taking over from North, "But it was like you had vanished…and we couldn't find where Pitch had gone either. All that was left was your staff."

"You guys broke my staff." Jack replied sullenly.

"No, mate, we didn't. Your staff's not broken at all." Bunny said, sudden hope flashing across his face as he bent down, retrieving something from underneath the bed, "Its right here, look,"

"What are you talking abo-"

Jack stopped, his eyes wide. Held up by Bunny was his staff, utterly intact and not broken.

"But…how…?" He whispered.

Jack placed a hand on his chest. He could still remember the pain that had shot through him, several times, when the staff was snapped again and again. There was no way he could have imagined that pain. It hadn't been like any of the beatings he had received before.

Jack realised Bunny was holding the staff out to him. Slowly, eyeing the rabbit suspiciously, he took the staff, snatching it away quickly before the Pooka could take it back. Seeing sadness instead of anger of not being able to trick him in the green eyes made him frown, but Jack still didn't believe what the Guardians were telling him.

The staff felt exactly like his staff. He could still feel his magic rushing through it. But...there was something different about too. He couldn't pinpoint it but that feeling was there. That and the fact he _knew_ it had been snapped a million times...yet there was not a single crack to be seen.

"We searched for you. High and low. Heck, we stormed the boogeyman's lair, just looking for ya. But he must've hidden you someplace, because we couldn't find you, no matter where we looked." Bunny said while Jack was staring at his staff.

Jack looked up, knowing for a fact that they had never stormed Pitch's place; they didn't know the new location of the entrance to Pitch's lair. Yet there was nothing but honesty on Bunny's face…and the Pooka had never been a good liar.

Jack shook his head. _No_. He couldn't let his guard down. He could still remember the years of pain they had caused him, all the beatings they had rained down upon him, all the insults they thrown at him and lots more. He knew he couldn't have just made that all up.

Sandy tugged North's sleeved and made some images popped up over his head. North nodded in agreement before turning to Jack.

"Jack…Pitch may have given you false memories."

"Pitch wouldn't do that." Jack growled, defending his friend again, though he didn't dare shout, just in case Bunny did decide to hit him this time, "Anyway, how on earth would he have done that? His powers lies in nightmares and fear not memories and mind control."

"Well…fear can make you more susceptible to what people may say….and you were held captive for two whole years" Tooth said, slightly hesitantly, as she glanced at the others, "Plus, before Pitch managed to create sand of his own, he had relied heavily on spells before when he fought us."

Okay the last part was true. Pitch had told him that before he had perfected his nightmare sand he had to use spells he found in books and scrolls instead when protecting children and defending himself against the Guardians. Jack had seen the library where he kept all these spell books and old scrolls. But just because Tooth had gotten one thing right didn't mean she was telling the truth…

"Look, mate, whatever Pitch has led you to believe is all a lie. We would never hurt you, not in a million years." Bunny said.

Jack shook his head. He hadn't been given false memories…had he? No. Pitch was his friend. How could he even doubt that?

"You need some rest. We'll talk about this later." North said, slowly standing to his feet. He paused, about to lay a gentle hand on Jack's shoulder again, before he remembered what happen last time. Instead he led the others out of the room, pausing at the doorway.

"Call us if you need anything." North said.

Then they were gone.

Jack immediately glanced at the window, quickly wondering if he could escape while the Guardians had gone, maybe go and find Pitch and ask him to explain what was going on. But the yetis were still there by the door, watching over him, and from the looks of the windows they were shut. The windows in the infirmary all had tricky locks that only North or a yeti could jolt open, Jack had learnt that during his attempts to sneak in and grab something to fix his injuries. It looked like he was stuck for now. At least they weren't locking him up in his room like they usually did.

Jack lay down in his bed, staring up at the ceiling, trying to think. He was just so confused. Why were they pretending he had disappeared for two whole years? What was there to gain from it, other than the fact they were giving Jack a headache? And why were they pretending Pitch had twisted Jack's memories and, from the way they spoke, had been the one to beat him again? Okay, the last one didn't confuse Jack as much. The Guardians had always hated Pitch and always made everything seem like it was Pitch's fault[ it was why all the other spirits in the world thought that they were the protectors of children when it was Pitch who protected the children of the world. Plus, they always pinpointed the blame of what they done on someone else. Jack knew, he was the one they usually blamed and he had the scars to prove it.

What really got Jack was the way they acted so remorseful. They were never remorseful, not even when they first started hitting Jack. But it was as if they generally were upset, what with the disbelief and devastation on Bunny's face, the tears streaming down Tooth's cheeks, the sorrow in North's eyes, the sad silence surrounding Sandy. It was as if it hurt them to see Jack in so much pain, hurt them to see him shield away from them, afraid of them. Even when they were playing a trick on him they never show this much emotion before.

What was going on?

* * *

Blinking, Jack sat up, realising he had fallen asleep without realising it. He tensed, expecting the Guardians to be there, this time dropping whatever act they were playing at.

But no one was about so Jack allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief. Then he suddenly straightened. No one was there. The yetis weren't by the door anymore. They must have left when he was asleep.

Clutching his staff, Jack sprung out of bed, doubling up slightly when his injuries protested in response. He glanced at his staff and cautiously stepped into the air. He stayed hovering, his magic still working. It had to be his staff…but how could it be?

He lowered himself back down to the floor, deciding to trust the ground for now. Attempting to walk from the bed, he was stopped by a tug. He groaned.

"Stupid IV." He mumbled.

Glancing at the IV in his arm, Jack hesitated before ripping it out. He had been through worse, what was the harm of a little more pain? He quickly switched off the machine besides the bed, before it starting emitting any loud beeping sounds, attracting the Guardian's attention. Ignoring the blood that pooled in the area where the IV needle once was, Jack pulled down his sleeve and headed to the door.

He snuck quietly down the corridor, trying to find a room with an open window for him to fly out of. He stopped when he heard raised voices.

The Guardians. Jack froze, wondering if they realised he had escaped. Then he realised the voices were coming from North's office, just a room ahead of him from where he stood.

Normally Jack would take this as an opportunity to flee without notice. But, he was still confused about what they had said before, and curiosity had always gotten the best over with him. Knowing he would probably regret this, he tiptoed towards the room and pushed the door open a crack, peering through.

"When I get that bloody boogeyman I'm going to kill him!" Bunny yelled.

Jack flinched but carried on listening, watching as Bunny paced up and down. Tooth was hovering in the air, looking down to the floor sadly, ignoring her fairies as they tweeted besides her. North perched on the front of his desk, rubbing his forehead. Sandy was watching Bunny paced, slightly worried for the rabbit as he looked like he was just a second from turning North's office's upside down.

"Calm down, Bunny," North said softy.

"Calm down?!" Bunny's fist crashed down on a side table, making Jack jump and hold back a whimper, "North, Pitch bloody tampered with Jack's memories and practically almost beat him to death! I will not flipping calm down; not until I find that nightmare king and give him a piece of my mind!"

"Beating Pitch up won't help Jack," Tooth injected softly.

That seemed to stop Bunny's ranting. The rabbit's shoulders slouched and he leaned heavily on the side table that he had hit earlier, as if it was now the only thing that was holding him up.

"I just...god blimey...seeing Frostbite like that, covered to head to toe with all those bruises and broken bones...and the fact that he thinks it was _us_ who'd hurt him, that _we_ did that to him...I...I just can't..."

North got up and walked over to Bunny, placing his hands on his shoulders.

"I know," He said softly, "But right now, if Jack's going to get better, he needs to know we would never hurt him like that. Won't believe that if we just shout and yell or go and attack Pitch...even if he does deserve it."

Bunny's ears drooped sadly and he looked down, away from North's blue eyes. "Alright..." He agreed.

Jack was even more confused. Why were they still acting, continuing the lie? They didn't know Jack was there, they thought he was still in the hospital room. Wouldn't they have dropped the act, now that they weren't in front of him? Why were they still prentending?

For a while no one spoke and Jack wondered if the conversation was over and if he should quickly leave before one of the Guardians opened the door and he was punished for eavesdropping.

Suddenly sand images starting forming above Sandy's head.

"I noticed that too," Tooth said quietly as she guessed what the sand pictures were saying before the others could. She turned to North and Bunny, "Did you two notice that Jack...seems younger than before?"

"What do ya mean?" Bunny asked.

"Does seem shorter than before," North commented thoughtfully.

"It's not just that. His features look a little younger too. Not that much, but he does definitely look a couple of years younger or so," Tooth said.

Okay, now Jack was definitely confused. What did they mean he looked younger? He was the same age he was ever since he died in that lake.

Deciding he had heard enough, Jack closed the door quietly and headed down the corridor, using the wall and his staff for support.

He was unaware that the shortest Guardian in the room had noticed the door shutting and had realised that the winter spirit was no longer in bed.

* * *

**_Why do I always make characters younger than they are? First in Icy Shadows with Pitch now with Jack...urgh. Hope you enjoyed, and no longer hate the Guardians after last chapter (hehe ^^;) Please leave a review and/or fav. ^^_**


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